Combination smoker&#39;s appliance



Jan. 2, 1951 Filed July 19, 1949 M. J. OSBORN E 2,536,078

v COMBINATION SMOKERS APPLIANCE 2 SheetsSheet 1 FIG. I

11 INVENTOR.

MELVIN J. OSBORNE 7fz kzawwfiawwz wdam flizlarneys Jan. 2, 1951' I I M. .1. OSBORNE 2,536,073

COMBINATION SMOKERS APPLIANCE Filed July 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

.39 25 2O 23 52 H 1 Q n 14 j 35 V 4a 22 13 43 25 If 25 III/II INVENTOR. flii MELVIN .1. OSBORNE Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,536,078 CUMBINA'HON sMorihas simmer Melvin J. Q sborne, Lawn, Tex. Application-July 1t, 1949, serialize. 10 5,49?

(Cl. sac -3c) -3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to smokers equipment,

and more particularly to a'combination ash tray,

cigarette lighter, and cigarette storage receptacle.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combined cigarette lighter, ash tray, and storage receptacle of the electrically operated type, which is very simple inconstruction, very compact in size and which is neat in appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combined ash tray, cigarette lighter and cigarette storage device, which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is very easy to operate, and wherein cigarettes may be stored without deterioration thereof, the ash tray portion of the device being very quiet in operation and being easy toempty whenever required.

of thedamping cylinder employed with the movable elements of the ash tray portion of the device of Figure l.

, Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken through the damping cylinder of Figure 5.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional'detail view taken on line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional detail View taken through the plunger of the damping device of Figure 5, said view being taken on line 88 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure -'8.

Referring to the drawings, 1 l designates the housing of the device, said housing being made of sheet metal, plastic or the like, and being mounted on a base l2 of felt or other suitable cushioning material to protect the underlying surface of the table or other article of furniture on which the device is to be placed. As shown in Figure 4, the housing I I may be generally rectangular in shape and has an inclined upper front wall portion l3. Mounted in wall portion 2 1 3 is aconventional low-voltage electrical cigar ette lighter f the "pop y type, shown at ll.

"Mounted in said wall portion 1-3 adjacent lighter i4 is a push-button switch I 5. Designated at T6 is a drawer slidably mounted in a rectangular aperture formed'in the lower portion of the f-ront wall "of housing lljsaid drawer carrying -'an upweirdly projecting abutment spring I l' ati ts rear wall adapted to engage the inner stir-face 6f the front wall of the housing II 'to limit outward movement of the drawer issue to prevent sa'id drawer from being completely withdrawn from the housing. Drawer 16 is provided'with ahandle 'or knob ill for manipulating same. Said drawer is employed as a receptacle for cigarettes, cigars, orjthe like. h pa'rtition l9 is 'pr'ovided in the housing ll around drawer 16 to shield the drawer from hea't frorn other patts'df "the device, thereby preventing excessive dryin'g of the contents of'the drawer.

The top wall of housing I, shown "at it, is formed at its rear portion with a downwardly flanged opening 21, the flange of the opening being tapered downwardly and inwardly asshown at22. Secured on top wall 20 aroundthe niarg'in of the opening are a plurality of cigarette or cigar holders 23. Pivoted in the housing on a transverse bolt 24 secured therein is anarcuate lever formed with a straight lower arm 26.

Connected between the end of arm '26 and the bottom wall of the housing is a coiled spring 'Zl biasing lever 25 counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 4. Secured to the upper end of arm 25 is 'a downwardly concave cup or lplate member -28which normally abuts the bottom rimoi fiangfe 22 due to the biasing eliect ofspring 21.

Designated at 29 is a large rectangular receptacle slidably mounted on opposing angle bars 30 secured to the side walls of housing [land being movable rearwardly out of the "housingthrough a rectangular aperture formed in the rear wall of said housing. The rear wall-of receptacle 29,

shown *at 3|, is normally received in *amarginal recess forined "around said rectangular aperture,

whereby it is substantially fiushwith the'housing rear wall. The receptacle rear wall 3| is formed with an inwardly pressed recess 32 defining a hand hold for withdrawing the receptacle from the housing ll whenever desired. The receptacle 29 is normally positioned beneath the flanged opening 2! to receive cigarette butts, ashes, and the like, when opening 2| is uncovered by the rotation of lever 25 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4, and the consequent downward movement of late member 28. Secured to the front wall of receptacle 29 is the upwardly and inwardly extending bracket 33 carrying an abutment member 34 at its top end. When plate member 28 is swung downwardly to open position, said plate member strikes the abutment 34 causing ashes or other material on the plate member to be shaken loose therefrom and to drop into the receptacle 29.

Pivoted at 35 to the top wall of housing forwardly of opening 2| is a solenoid unit 36 having a plunger 37 which is pivotally connected to arm 26 at 3B. When solenoid unit 36 becomes energized, plunger 37 is drawn upwardly into the solenoid, causing lever 25 to be rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4. Pivoted to the top wall of housing H at 39, forwardly adjacent opening 2| is a cylinder 40 having an open bottom end. Slidably positioned in cylinder 40 is a piston 4| carried on a rod 42 which is pivotally connected to the upper portion of lever 25, at 53. Cylinder 40 is formed at its upper portion with a small aperture 44. Piston 4| is formed with a plurality of apertures 45 normally covered by a flexible disc 46, of rubber or the like, secured to the top surface of the piston. When lever 25 is moved clockwise by the energization of solenoid 36, the piston 4| is drawn downwardly in cylinder 4%, the rubber flap member 46 allowing air to move through the apertures 45 into the upper portion of the cylinder, whereby the piston and cylinder provide very little resistance to the clockwise rotation of lever 25. Plate member 28 therefore moves downwardly relatively rapidly to uncover opening 2|. As soon as solenoid 36 becomes deenergized, spring 21 returns lever 25 to its normal position, shown in Figure 4, wherein plate member 28 covers opening 2|. The return movement of lever 25 is retarded, however, by the resistance oiiered by cylinder 4|! to the upward movement therein of piston 4|, since under these conditions the flap member seals the openings 45 and the air trapped in the cylinder can only escape through the small opening 55. This introduces a substantial time delay in the return of plate member 23 to normal closed p'isition. Suflicient time i therefore provided for ashes, cigarette butts, and the like, to slide over plate member 28 into the receptacle 29.

Designated at 47 is the line cord which enters the rear wall of housing through a grommet 48. Line cord 4? is connected to the primary of a step-down transformer 353 secured to the bottom wall of housing The secondary of transformer 49 is connected by suitable wires 58 and 5| to the terminals of the lighter i4. One terminal of solenoid 36 i connected by a wire 52 to wire 5|. The other terminal of said solenoid is connected by a wire 53 to one terminal of switch IS. The remaining terminal of switch i5 is connected by a wire 54 to wire 59. When switch [5 is closed, the solenoid 36 becomes energized from the secondary of transformer 49 by a circuit comprising wire 56, wire 54, switch l5, wire 53', solenoid 36, wire 52, and wire 5|. The energization of solenoid 36 causes the plate member .4 28 to be swung downwardly to open position, as above described.

While a specific embodiment of a combination smokers device has been disclosed in th foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A smokers device of the character described comprising a housing formed in its top wall with an opening to receive cigarette ashes and the like, a closure plate in said housing and pivoted thereto, said plate being arranged to close off said opening, spring means biasing the plate to closing position, electro-magnetic means connected to said plate and arranged to swing the plate downwardly responsive to energization thereof, and retarding means connected between the plate and the housing, slowing down the movement of the plate.

2. A smokers device of the character described comprising a housing formed in its top wall with an opening to receive cigarette ashes and the like, a closure plate in said housing and pivoted thereto, said plate being arranged to close ofi said opening, spring means biasing the plate to closing position, electro-magnetic means connected to said plate and arranged to swing the plate downwardly responsive to energization thereof, a damping cylinder pivotally connected to the housing, a piston in said cylinder, and means connecting said piston to the closure plate, and check valve means on the piston limiting free movement of the piston in the cylinder.

3. A smokers device of the character described comprising a housing formed in its top wall with a downwardly flanged opening to receive cigarette ashes and the like, a closure plate in said housing and pivoted thereto for swinging movement around a horizontal axis, said plate being arranged to close oli said opening, spring means biasing the plate to closing position, electro-magnetic means connected to said plate and arranged to swing the plate downwardly responsive to energization thereof, switch means carried on the housing, circuit means including said switch means connected to said electro-magnetic means, a damping cylinder pivoted to the housing, said cylinder having a small opening formed therein adjacent its pivoted end and being open at its other end, a piston in said cylinder, means connecting said piston to the closure plate, said piston being formed with an opening, and a resilient flap member secured to said piston and overlying said opening, said flap member being yieldable in response to outward movement of the piston with respect to said pivoted end, whereby the closure plate is unretarded in its opening movement but is retarded in its closing movement.

MELVIN J. OSBORNE.

No references cited. 

